Coking process



May 4, 1943. E. UTTERBAcK 2,318,131

COKIN@ PROCESS Filed July 25,r 1941 TORNEY P-atented May 4, t

UNITED STATESPATENT 'OFFICE j.'

COKING PROCESS Ernest Utterback, Upper. Darby, Pa., vassiirnor toSocony-Vacunin Oil Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.; a corporationof New York Application July 25, 19.41, serial No. 403,989

(ci. H6)

s claims.

I'his invention is directed to spray coking processes for the reductionof heavy oils to coke and has particularly to do with the removal ofparchamber, or, more usually, the exit o1 vapors therefrom, must beavoided. None of these devices has proven particularly satisfactory.V

This invention has for its object the provision of a method whereby thecoke may be removed by means such as are usually appropriate forhandling iiuids, and whereby the coking chamber may be continuouslyisolated from the atmosphere while coke is being continuously removed.

In order to understand this invention, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, the single gure of which shows, in diagram form, aset-up of apparatus whereby the process ,of my invention may bepracticed.

In this drawing I is a chamber in which by some process of spray coking,a granular or particle form of coke, more or less dry, is beingproduced. This coke falls to the cone-like bottom o( I, and passesthrough duct 2 into vessel 3.

In vessel 3 there is maintained a pool of refracpable of handling amixture of liquid and some solids, such as, 'for example, the Hydrosealpump developed and sold by the Worthington Pump and MachineryCorporation of New York.

The discharge from pump 6 passes through pipe 'I to either of separators8 and 9, each oi Which is provided with a screen I0, and the cokeremains thereon, the oil passing away through pipe H. The cil in pipe IIis cooled by passage through heat exchanger I2 and delivered into pipeI3. As a usual' thing this oil is returned from pipe I3 through valve I4to vessel 3, valve I4 being operated in response to liquid level controlIV5 to maintain a predetermined level of oil in vessel 3. If more oil isdelivered to pipe I3 'than the momentary demand in vessel 3 calls for,the surplus is delivered to tank I 6 through ,valve I1 which is arrangedto be responsive to a predetermined pressure in pipe4 I3. Additional andauxiliary control over the amount of oil withdrawn from vessel 3 (andconsequently of the level maintained in 3), is provided by pipe I8,

pump I9 and valve 20, valve 2|) being so interconnected with liquidlevel control I5 and valve I4 that when valve I4, wide open, fails tomaintain level, valve 20 opens to provide additional oil from pipe I8.Thisoil is preferably led to discharge pipe 5 by pipe 2l, but may beintroduced tovessel 3, if desired.

Returning now to coke separators 8 and 9, when either is full, the ilowof coke-carrying oil may be diverted to the other, the rst beingisolated, after which steam pressure may be applied from pipe 22, todrain oil from the coke and at 20,

If desired, cooler 25 and water separator drum 2.6 may be installed inpipe 23. Also, pipe 23 may be utilized as an auxiliary pipe for returnof oil from circulation to tank, under manual control, if desired.

This system 'of'operation has the advantage of maintaining completeisolation of the coking chamber, regardless of the pressure conditionsrobtaining therein, and completely avoids all of thosedimculties arisingfrom attempting to operate mechanical devices, such as star wheels,"-for example, in the presence of highly abrasive coke. Further, since theoil used is refractory cracked stock, and is maintained relatively iso'lated from the heat of the coking chamber, it does not lend a disturbingfactor to the coking operation, and is little eected thereby.

The process is applicable not only to straight prises, continuouslysubjecting the heavy oil to spray coking in a cokingzone. maintaining apool of refractory oil, isolated from atmosphere, beneath and inrestricted communication with said coking' zone, continuously collectingfreshly formed coke granules in said pool, continuously withdrawing fromsaid pool the mixture of oil and coke, and separating the oil and coke.

2. In a process of reducingheavy oils to relatively dry granular coke,the method which comprises, continuously subjecting the 'heavy oil tospray coking in a coking zone', maintaining a pool of refractory oil,isolated from atmosphere, beneath and in restricted communication withsaid coking zone, continuously collecting freshly formed coke granulesin said pool, continuouslyl withdrawing from said pool the mixture ofoil and coke, separating the oil and coke, returning the former to saidpool, and cooling the same intermediate withdrawal from the pool andreturn to it.

3. In apparatus for reducing heavy oils to relatively dry granular coke,a coking chamber, means for continuously spraying oil therein under hightemperature conditions for evaporation andthe formation of granularcoke, means to remove vapors from said coking chamber, a containersealed to atmosphere and located beneath said coking chamber, meansestablishing restricted communication between the bottom of said cokingchamber and the top of said container, and means for maintaining a poolof oil in said container, said last-named means including an oilcirculation system having therein an oil-coke separator whereby the oilmay be continuously withdrawn from and returned to said container whilethe coke withdrawn from the chamber in admixture with the oil may becontinuously removed.

4. In apparatus as claimed in claim 3, a heat exchanger insaid..circulation system for cooling the oil before its return to saidcontainer.

5. In apparatus for reducing heavy oils to relatively dry granular coke.a coking chamber,

means for continuously spraying oil therein under high temperatureconditions for evaporation and the formation of dry granular coke, meansto remove vapors from said coking Chamber, a container sealed toatmosphere and located beneath said coking chamber, means establishingrestricted communication between the bottom of said coking chamber andthe to'p of said con- ERNEST UT'IERBACK.

